The 'girthers' aren't buying Trump's official weight and height

(Image credit: Getty Images)

last updated 17 January 2018

President Trump appears remarkably healthy for a 71-year-old man who doesn't eat well or exercise, and he aced a rudimentary cognitive ability test (you can take it yourself here), according to Dr. Ronny Jackson, the White House doctor appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2013. But not everyone is buying Jackson's assessment that Trump is 6-foot-3 and weighs 239 pounds, giving him a barely sub-obesity body mass index (BMI) of 29.9. MSNBC's Chris Hayes came up with the name:

The main argument seems to be that since muscle weighs more than fat, Trump can't possibly weigh the same as professional athletes of roughly the same build. One example of many:

Sports Illustrated compiled many other Trump vs. athlete visual comparisons. Did the commander in chief order Jackson, a two-star Navy admiral, to tip the scales, so to speak? Some "girthers" are putting their money where their doubts are.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Others doubt that Trump is actually 6-foot-3.

The "girthers" already have counter-girthers, including Fox News analyst Brit Hume.

The Hume conversation ended on kind of a strange note, but that's par for the course in 2018.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.